Advocates for immigration reform and same-sex marriage are at the center of two of the biggest debates in Washington.

And as they’ve fought for their causes, they have begun working together, despite political pressure — especially from Republicans — to keep the issues separated.

“The lesbian and gay community has always emphasized that the way you change the law is to change people’s minds, and the way you change minds is to come out and share your story,” said Steve Ralls, spokesman for the advocacy group Immigration Equality. “Notably, a few years ago, we started to see many more — especially young — undocumented immigrants come out of the shadows, identify themselves as being undocumented and share their stories.”

Those familiar with the debate say it makes sense that gay rights advocates and those pushing for comprehensive immigration reform have forged a partnership. Both groups are seeking legitimacy in the eyes of the government, either through a path to U.S. citizenship or federally recognized marriages.

But there are also narrower overlapping areas of concern: For example, gay and lesbian Americans — even those whose marriages are recognized on the state level — are banned from sponsoring their foreign-born partners for immigration.

A March 2013 report by the UCLA law school’s Williams Institute found some 267,000 undocumented immigrants identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgendered.

“But under current law, there is no permanent option that allows a lesbian or gay American to keep their spouse here in the United States with them,” Ralls said. “These couples have always been faced with — in best-case circumstances — patching together a series of visas to stay together or — in worst-case scenarios — making really painful decisions about either separating or living in exile.”

As national support for same sex marriage climbs, many Latino voters are among those who support broader protections for same-sex couples.

“There’s been a myth for some time now that immigration advocates would be opposed to the inclusion of gay families because they feel it would someone derail the legislation,” Ralls said.

In a survey of 500 Latino voters nationwide, Immigration Equality found that 64 percent of those polled said they would support allowing same-sex partners to petition for legal residency in the United States. Seventy-one percent of respondents who identified themselves as Catholic said it was “very” or “somewhat” important that immigration reform include lesbian and gay bi-national couples, the poll found.

Catholic voters’ views on the issue are noteworthy because the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops is one of the strongest voices against repealing the Defense of Marriage Act, which bans federal recognition of same-sex marriages. The group did not respond to multiple phone calls and emails requesting an interview. The National Organization for Marriage, another group that supports DOMA, also did not return an email and phone calls requesting comment.

The political ripple-effect

The church’s position puts pressure on Republicans. Though lobbying activity by religious groups is notoriously secretive, the Catholic Church has significant influence on Capitol Hill.

The church’s reach means added pressure on Republicans, who are already enmeshed in a broader conversation about their party’s identity following last year’s presidential loss.

Some Republicans argue the party won’t win without finding a way to appeal to the growing number of voters who care about issues like gay rights and immigration reform. National support for same-sex marriage has increased rapidly, especially in recent years and among younger voters.

“Whether you’re talking about bi-national same-sex couples and immigration reform or you’re talking about same-sex couples and the issue of civil partnerships, you’re looking at central issues of inequality that pertain to both,” said Gregory Angelo, executive director of the Log Cabin Republicans, a GOP gay rights advocacy group.

Angelo also points out that some Republicans opt to support legislation related to social justice issues when there’s a clear economic benefit for their constituents.

The Uniting American Families Act, for example, would allow Americans to sponsor their same-sex permanent partners for residency. Some Republicans support the bill, Angelo says, because they see an economic benefit in keeping skilled workers in the United States. Supporters include Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Reps. Richard Hanna, R-N.Y., and Charlie Dent, R-Pa.

“They’ve had conversations with business owners in their districts who are employing at least one spouse who is in a position where they might be deported,” Angelo said.

Yet some Republicans, who have struggled to win over voters who care about immigration reform and gay rights, are especially cautious about keeping those issues apart.

“I think if that [same-sex rights] issue becomes a central issue in the debate it’s going to become harder to get it done because there will be strong feelings on both sides,” Republican Florida Sen. Marco Rubio said in a Februrary interview with BuzzFeed.

But some Democrats argue the issues are inextricably linked. Sen. Mazie Hirono, a Democrat from Hawaii, came to the United States from Japan when she was 8.

“It’s from my own experience as an immigrant that I believe immigration reform should keep our family immigration system strong and extend immigration rights to LGBT families,” Hirono said in an email. “Like marriage, extending immigration rights to LGBT families shouldn’t be a political issue but a matter of basic fairness.”

‘No American should have to do that’

Newlyweds Judy Rickard, 65, and Karin Bogliolo, 72, agree. Rickard is American and Bogliolo is British. They’ve had “domestic partnership” status in California since 2007 and were married in Vermont in 2011.

But when Rickard applied for a green card for Bogliolo last year, the process stalled. Rickard opted for early retirement — and therefore a smaller pension — from her marketing job at San Jose State University so she could be with Bogliolo in Europe during periods of time when the United States wouldn’t allow her to stay.

“Why do I have to leave the country with my wife on order to be with my wife?” Rickard said. “I have had to choose between my wife and my job; my wife and my country; my country and my family. No American should have to do that.”

Bogliolo and Rickard, who was named a White House Champion of Change for her activism on behalf of same-sex bi-national couples, were in Washington last week so Rickard could address other honorees at the White House.

“I told them that a lot of people, when they hear the word ‘gay’ or ‘lesbian,’ they hold the word ‘immoral’ in their hearts and minds,” Rickard said. “And then when they hear the word ‘immigrant,’ they hold the word ‘illegal’ in their hearts and minds. How do you think that makes me and my wife feel?”

They’re willing to put up a high-profile fight, both women say, so that they might someday be able to live a quiet married life in California. That means playing Scrabble and reading spy novels, volunteering in a local first-grade classroom and having friends over for dinner.

“I am going to be 73 this year,” Bogliolo said. “Really, all I want to do is live a very normal life. I want to do the gardening, cook meals, and do that with my wife. Just grow old together.”